


Rough Beginnings

by Asa_Meda



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 03:35:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4690643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asa_Meda/pseuds/Asa_Meda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this and other Doctor Who stories in and around 2007.  I am an OLD Doctor fan (my first was Jon Pertwee).  I wrote several Third and Fourth... even a Fifth Doctor stories, all gen that got into Fanzines... somewhere in the 80s.  When Doctor Who returned I was drawn back in.  So I'm again posting old stories... don't know if I'll get back to anything.  I have Torchwood stories too.  But after the death of a specific character... I'll see what I'll do.  I may post fragments too... we'll see.  Please enjoy for what it is.  Comments welcome.</p><p>Summary: Post "Empty Child" .  Jack has been brought aboard the TARDIS just before his stolen ship and the German bomb he brought on board to save others is toast. It was the least the Doctor could do seeing how Jack had saved Rose... twice. But the Doctor needs to know he can trust the mysterious ex-time agent... and finds something more...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rough Beginnings

It was suppose to be a brief gig. Get enough to fuel himself to the next gig, to buy the right people, to get the information that otherwise he would never be able to get. It was his life's mission, his reason to live. Con some idiot out of a few million credits and move on.

But something went wrong this time. He screwed up big time. He had brought contamination upon a world too young to deal with it. It was only because of a young 21st Century girl and her very strange companion that the timeline was preserved and a child was saved.

Jack didn't know who this "Doctor" was. Alien for sure. His scanners said so. But it wouldn't tell him what kind. Had the knowledge but refused to tell him. But even so, within his own mind, something stirred... something that brought a fraction of anxiety and terror only to disappear in the next moment.

Deciding he would be here for awhile, he took off his coat and hung it over the railing next to him then set his hat on top. Casually he leaned back against a surprisingly soft pillar to watch the entertainment before him. They danced in sync. Danced in friendship... and perhaps more. Jack smiled as the Big Band tune came to an end and the Doctor dipped Rose down, almost a kiss...

Then the dance was over. The Doctor smiled at Rose who smiled back, then his eyes lifted to Jack. Green-blue. Penetrating. Harkness felt his internal warning alarms go off even as a vaguely pleasant chill slowly spread down his spine. "Right then," the strange man said casually as he gently set Rose on her feet and reached for what Jack assumed was the... TARDIS... control console. Glen Miller's "In the Mood" was silenced then music began again...

 

_"Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me...."_

 

Jack smirked; delighted he was to watch them dance again, wondering if either of them would be interested-

"I believe this is our song, Jack."

Harkness startled as a hand landed on his shoulder, as the Doctor suddenly stood in front of him... close. How the hell did he move that fast! Those eyes. Jack swallowed. Something within cried a painful cry, grief and rage and-

 

 _"... anyone else but me..."_ the song continued in the background, the harmonious blending of the Andrew Sisters and Big Band music a contrast to what seemed to happening now.

 

"Jack."

The hand remained on his shoulder. Another hand caressed his hair-

"You almost killed dozens of people with your stunt."

Jack jerked again as he felt the tendrils of another's mind sift into his, searching. He tried to reach up, push the Doctor away. Telepath. A strong one. For the most part Jack didn't like telepaths. Of course, low level exchanges were fine... natural, even enjoyable in the right situation. But not like this... invasive... touching something that was not to be touched...

"I'm the Doctor, Jack Harkness," the voice in his ear... in his mind... informed him though Jack could sense another name... another identity hidden so deeply it could never be reached. "You're on board my TARDIS. And I don't let just anyone on."

TARDIS. Broken whispers flowed upwards from somewhere dark... damaged... torn... Jack gasped and struggled. The hold on him firmed, physically and mentally. "Doctor... what... I didn't mean..."

"Of course not." A maniacal grin filled Jack's vision. "But I don't know you. You have some impressive barriers, Captain Harkness. Barriers hiding something. I don't like things hidden from me."

Jack cried out as the force of the alien infused him, invaded every portion of his mind. Powerful. Demanding...

"Doctor!"

There was a pause then a retreat. The Doctor didn't move but his attention split. Jack could feel his heart pounding against his ribs, into his throat. His back was pressed against the soft walls of the... TARDIS... the Glen Miller tune continued undisturbed...

 

_"... don't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me..."_

 

"Rose, don't interfere," the Doctor said shortly, almost angrily. "I'm not going to hurt him... not if I don't have to."

"He saved me... he saved us... you can't-"

"Rose, please go." Jack swallowed as complex emotions shocked through him from the alien who held him. "I have to be sure and I might just hurt him if you can't stay silent."

Hurt. Jack almost laughed but terror held it back. Physical pain was nothing. He didn't seek it out but he had enough experience, both as threat and pleasure, that it held little value. But there was something about this alien... his mind... something familiar... yet not... time... a shift... powerful... touching secrets...

"Relax, Jack Harkness," the Doctor spoke, his attention refocused, drowning out the song in the background. "Let's have a look at those memories, shall we? Make sure I'm not getting a two for one special-"

Jack screamed as the force of the alien ripped into his thoughts. Not painful... not physically... but painful within... almost intolerable... he knew he was fighting but he knew the alien was stronger, more determined. Don't... please... There was something he could not share... hidden... yet oddly familiar to the man who was determined to seek it out... the man... the Doctor.... 

 

_Time Lord_

 

No. Not possible. Jack watched the alien's expression change, turning from firm power to something softer. There was a withdrawal; more gentle than the invasion had been. The song returned, beating a steady beat of voices and music...

 

_"... Don't give out those lips of yours to anyone else but me..."_

 

"Easy, Jack." The soothing voice was within and without. Strong hands now sought to comfort him. "I'm sorry... had to be done."

Had to be... Jack tried to straighten up but it was impossible, his muscles refused to support him. Only the Doctor held him up.

 

_Time Lord_

 

Shivering Jack looked into the other man's eyes. "You can't be... Time Lords... you can't... " He winced as some small corner of his mind protested, hinted knowledge then grew silent... lost memory... "I-"

"Hush." There was a shift. Jack found himself in the Doctor's arms, held easily against the man's cooler body. "You need a rest then we'll talk. I promise."

Jack could not find the strength to protest, even if he wanted to. He was torn apart but less afraid. The Doctor would not hurt him. Not now. He let his consciousness fade as he was carried away. In the background he could still hear the Glen Miller tune even as his left ear on the Doctor's chest picked up the steady, synchronized beat of two hearts...

_"... when you come marching home..."_

 

Clean air. Steady hum from all around, inside and out. Jack opened his eyes. He was in a bed, soft and comfortable. He lay still, his mind sorting out where he was, what he was doing...

 

_Space junk... Nanogenes... a child... people.... Rose... champaige... gas masks... the Doctor... Time Lord..._

 

Jack sat up. His heart beat a little harder as he remembered. He was going to die on his stolen ship courtesy of a World War II Blitzkrieg bomb. He deserved it. He had miscalculated, missed the obvious. Harmed others. But in the last moment he was invited into the TARDIS by a young woman and a Time Lord... 

"Finally! You're awake! How are you?" 

Rose sat cross-legged at the end of his bed. She had changed from jeans and a t-shirt to sweats, more comfortable and casual. She was more open in her expression. Concerned. Watchful. Annoyed. But Jack sensed that last emotion wasn't directed at him. 

Jack honestly didn't know how he felt but he wasn't going to admit that. Instead he fell back on what he knew best. "Don't know," he said softly, leering at her with his best Harkness smile. "How do you want me to feel?" 

The young woman blushed but her expression was amused. "Guess you're feeling better then." 

Jack let himself fall back on the bed and sighed dramatically. "Don't know. Might have a fever." His eyes met hers. "Wanna check?" 

Rose looked tempted but something made her hold back at the last moment, much to Jack's disappointment. She was very sweet and he wouldn't have minded a little kiss. Instead she moved up the bed then sat down and took his hand, a source of comfort. "Is that all you ever think about?" 

Harkness smirked at her. "It's a tough universe," he said honestly. "You gotta take what pleasure you can, when you can." He sighed again as he became aware of a familiar urge. His bladder suddenly let him know it was about to burst. He sat up again and looked around. "This place got a rest stop?" 

"Rest-" Rose understood and grinned. "See that little space there?" She pointed out a small depression, a small doorway, next to the nightstand beside the bed. "Everything you need is in there." 

_Okay then._ Jack reluctantly took his hand from hers. "Be right back. Don't go anywhere." 

Rose laughed lightly. "If I'm not here, the Doctor will be." 

Doctor. Jack didn't want to think about that. He got off the bed and headed for what served as a bathroom in this place... this TARDIS. "Hope it's you," he threw out without his usual charm then went in. 

The bathroom, as it turned out, was luxurious. Had everything a human could want. He quickly did his business, impressed by how waste was simply absorbed into the body of the toilet. No waste of water or fluid. Then he washed his hands. There was a soaking tub. A Jacuzzi. A large shower stall. Shower. Jack looked down at himself. His shirt had been removed to leave behind his undershirt. His pant buckle had been opened, the top of his fly loosened. His shoes were gone. Made comfortable. Jack sensed the Doctor had done this, carefully. Gently. An apology of sorts... 

Jack again avoided thoughts in that direction. He eyed the shower then made a decision. "Might as well," he muttered to himself. He had no idea where the Doctor was going to leave him off. But he could at least be clean. 

The water pulsed over his body just the way he liked it, at a temperature he liked. The soap's scent was relaxing... soothing... comforting. Jack took a moment to wonder how the machine knew then just accepted that it did. As a sensualist he took his time, lingered over the feel of getting dirt off his body, of feeling somewhat more balanced. 

When he came out he saw his clothes were gone. There was a pair of sweats and a robe set neatly on the long bathroom counter. There were toiletries around the sink he knew hadn't been there when he came in. 

Cleaned and dressed he came back into the bedroom. He didn't mind walking around naked but felt, given the century Rose lived in, that he should at least wear the pants. 

"Jack." 

Harkness froze. The Doctor sat against the headboard of the bed. He wore a t-shirt and dark pants. His feet were bare. His expression was intent and concerned as his eyes moved over Jack's body. "How are you feeling?" 

"Dunno," Jack answered honestly, knowing it would be useless to lie to the Time Lord. "Quite the dance moves, Doctor," he threw out sarcastically as his ever present shield of bravado fell into place. "Did Rose have to go through that kind of initiation to be welcomed aboard?" 

"Rose is an innocent," the Doctor said shortly then shook his head and sighed softly. "It had to be done, Captain. I had to be sure I hadn't brought something on board that would be a threat to Rose or my TARDIS. Surprise attack seemed best." 

Honest. Jack opened the terry cloth robe he had draped over his arm and put it on, feeling less exposed as he closed it around him. He looked up to find the Time Lord's expression caught somewhere between disappointment and amusement. But the glittering eyes remained serious. Suddenly anticipatory Jack searched his own mind, seeking that place he knew was always there, knew was closed to him, like an old scar. He closed his eyes and gasped at the unexpected response. Usually there was something teasing him, wisps of images that taunted. But now there was nothing but the knowledge it was there, the rough edges smoothed into a more comfortable perception. 

"Steady, Jack." 

Jack eyes popped open again and struck out as his shoulders were gently gripped. "No!" 

"Jack!" His blows were carefully intercepted. "Calm down, Captain." 

The command penetrated the near panic that had erupted. Harkness stilled, his eyes met the Doctor's. "Get the hell out of my head!" 

"I'm not in it... not right now." The Doctor held Jack's wrists in an unbreakable hold. His face was mere inches from Jack's. "Just calm down." 

Calm. Jack's fear turned to rage. "What the hell did you do to me!" 

The Doctor's eyes studied him then his strong grip shifted. Jack was tugged forward towards the bed and guided to sit down next to the Doctor. "Listen to me, Jack," he said, his voice lacking that compelling tone, asking not commanding. "I won't apologize for what I did. When you think about it, you'll have to admit it had to be done." 

Jack took a deep breath. "Okay," he admitted. If he could have he would have done the same thing to protect himself or someone he cared about. He glanced down at his hands as the adrenaline surge left him but not a sudden anticipation as he realized something. "So... what did you see?" Was his long quest for those missing memories over? But if it was, why was it all still hidden away from him? 

"Nothing." 

Truth. Jack opened his mouth, ready to protest, to call the Doctor a liar. But instantly he knew the other man was telling the truth. "Nothing?" He rubbed his forehead. Time Lords were a myth... fairy tales told to gullible children who had barely learned to walk; lessons taught to would-be Time Agents to warn them against abuse. Though Jack quickly learned that lessons rarely translated in reality. "Thought you guys were all powerful," he muttered... almost teased. "No barrier too strong." 

"Not generally," the Doctor agreed. "I could have... but I couldn't." 

"Come again?" Jack faced the Time Lord... the Doctor. "You could but you couldn't." Angered again he got up and began to pace. "They took something from me and you could give it back but you won't?" 

The Doctor was calm, nearly stoic. "I'm not sure your fellow Time Agents were involved in placing this block on your memories," he stated. "And whatever was done was done to protect you, that much I could sense." 

"Protect?" Jack rubbed his hands over his face in a harsh gesture. Truth. The Doctor was telling him the truth. "Protected from what! Not from the night-" He stopped. No... not going to share that... not... 

"I did what I could, Jack," the Doctor said softly, his voice closer. "In a sense I reinforced the block." Tentative hands touched his shoulders from behind, offering consolation. This time Jack allowed it. He needed the contact to sooth his nerves. "Just breaking through the barriers might have driven you insane and I... wouldn't have been able to bring you back." The Doctor's presence filled Jack's senses, his smell and energy. "As it is I'm not sure if I did any good." 

Jack shrugged. Understanding conflicted with soul deep disappointment. His elusive memories were further away now. His eyes stung but the ex-Time Agent refused to give in to the urge. Tears were weak... made you vulnerable. He couldn't afford- 

"Let go, Jack." 

Words whispered... inward and outward. Jack tensed. "Now you're in my head," he challenged. 

"Yes, I am." The Doctor's breath washed over Jack's left ear. "But I know the boundaries." The Time Lord's fingers crept around Jack's shoulders, pulling gently until Jack found his back pressed against the hard surface of a male chest as he was held in a loose embrace that did not force him to stay. "Trust me."

Trust. Captain Jack Harkness didn't trust anyone... sometimes not even himself. But the Doctor... he trusted the strange man... myth come alive. "Sounds like a seduction, Doc," he threw out as some of his good humor return.

"Doc?" Cool lips brushed the side of Jack's throat causing a buzz of anticipation to melt through the tension... the sadness. "Trust me and let go. I want to help you."

Okay. One whispered thought... consent. Jack normally preferred to be the one who guided the encounter. But as the Doctor turned him; as cooler, more powerful lips claimed him, there was no question about who was going to lead this dance.

 

_Let go, Jack._

 

Deeper. Jack found himself captured in the Doctor's gaze. Gray eyes glittered with power... with a hint of gold at their core... a radiant fire... 

 

_...the center of time..._

 

Not too far, my young friend. Multiple voices caressed him... different voices... past and future... all one man...

 

_Something here... Something..._

 

"Draw back, Jack. Leave it be..."

Jack blinked as his sense of reality settled and focused. The Doctor held him at arm's length, his face clearly showing a mosaic of complex emotions. "What-"

Instantly the Doctor grinned his maniacal grin, erasing all signs and hints of what he had been feeling. "You have some raw talent... a few extra ganglia." His hands caressed through the conman's hair and scalp then cradled the back of the younger man's head. "Something to explore as we get to know each other."

Cool lips seared as they reclaimed Jack's, as tongue forced entry into a willing mouth. Need. Jack followed the lead, his own mouth joining, tasting the Time Lord. Again that low level buzz of power teased at him, drew him in more carefully. Jack trembled then moaned aloud as every nerve he owned reacted. _More._

 _Greedy child._ Knowing hands warmed as they wandered under the fabric of Jack's robe and slid over his skin. Jack own hands wandered and explored as he tried to get a sense of differences and similarities...

Then the Doctor gently drew back. Jack resisted the loss of contact as mild panic seized him. It couldn't end... 

"Not done." The Doctor caressed Jack's cheek in a gesture of reassurance. Then he openly eyed Harkness up and down. "You're overdressed."

Over- Oh. Jack grinned wryly in acknowledgement. Soul deep relief wafted through him. He needed the Doctor, desired him in a way that was frightening... that in the past would have sent him running. But this was... something else... something he couldn't stop and didn't want to. He smiled his patented "Harkness" smile. The Doctor smiled back but his gaze remained watchful.

Further aroused by the attention, Jack licked his lips and quickly took off his robe then drew down his pants. As he straightened he found the Doctor standing before him, completely nude. Damn, he's quick. His eyes took in the humanoid male figure before him as his mind automatically sought to see the differences, expecting many. But there were only small variations, not in the body but in the genitalia. Oh, the erection the Time Lord sported was all within normal limits but the sac that hung behind his own penis seem to be missing from the Doctor's, though Jack suspected it was probably an internal structure, safely tuck away in the alien's cooler body.

"Like what you see?" the Doctor asked in a way that let Jack know he had no doubts about how he appeared to others.

Jack's eyes focused on the Doctor's hard cock that bobbed in a rhythm that seem to reflect the Doctor's double heartbeat. Without thinking Jack closed the small distance between them and knelt at the Doctor's feet. His hands rested on strong, lean thighs, his nose instantly picked up the scent of Time Lord's arousal.

Sure fingers lightly combed though Jack's hair. A single thought drew his attention. The Doctor's expression was uncertain, even a little fearful. Confused Jack wondered if he was making some mistake, breaking some Time Lord etiquette. As if hearing the thought the Time Lord shook his head. Fingertips brushed over Jack's temple... 

_I'm not your master._ In a single spark of thought Jack caught a glimpse of another man... a Time Lord... disturbed... dark... not the Doctor... Jack swallowed in response as he understood and gave the Time Lord a cheeky grin. "I'm not your servant," he responded aloud.

The Doctor's eyes closed then opened. His expression became amused, even somewhat irritated. "Thought you were expert at this, Captain." He smirked and rested his hands on his naked hips. "Not that I've yet to see."

Playful challenge. Feeling as if he had passed some important test, Jack needed no more encouragement. He did what he knew best, what he liked for himself... what he hoped would please the man he stimulated. As he lost himself in the taste and feel of the Doctor's arousal he heard a deep moan, felt the strong hands in his hair become more demanding. _Yes._ Jack quickly matched the rhythm the Doctor set. His instincts guided him as he found tiny places with tongue and even teeth that caused the other man to jerk harshly, to pump with more abandon into Jack's willing mouth.

Yes. The Doctor's pleasure mingled with his own, encouraging and distracting him. Jack's own erection was almost painful but all of his focus was on what he was doing to the other man, on his own anticipation of the intense orgasm he knew was coming, on the knowledge he was the cause of it. 

_Close... Jack... close..._

It was meant as warning, Jack knew. In response he took the Doctor's cock down his throat then groaned, knowing the effect was right as harsh breath filled and escaped from the man above him. Want it all!

The Doctor's hips moved sharply. Once. Twice. Strong hands wrapped around Jack's head, almost forcing in a moment of blind surrender.

The other man's release rolled over Jack in a mental blast of falling over the edge, of brief images, of a golden spark in an endless vortex... 

The taste of semen was bitter and sweet all at once... addictive. Jack's tongue sought out every drop until the hands in his hair gently pulled. "Enough... sensitive there..."

Jack drew back then stood, his own body still tense with pre-orgasmic need even as his mind tingled worked to process the aftermath of the intense pleasure he had given to the Doctor... given to himself. "Doc-"

"My turn!"

There was no time to react as the Doctor drew him into a demanding kiss, sharing taste and passion. A moment later Jack found himself flat on his back on the bed facing the Doctor's darkly stoic expression. "Don't move."

Command. Absolute. Jack blinked then drew himself up onto his elbows in a half sitting position as the Doctor went into the bathroom and returned an instant later with a small pack in his hand. "You moved," the Time Lord accused as stood beside the bed, his tone threatening; his eyes alight with mirth.

Playing along Jack smirked at him. "What of it?" he challenged.

The Doctor's punishment was to climb onto the bed and roughly push Jack back down. "I said... don't move!" His lips descended, captured. Jack lost all coherent thought as he was imprisoned under the Doctor's body. It was the old dance. The Time Lord was hard again; Jack could feel the firmness against his thigh and found his mouth watering, eager to taste him once more. But this time he knew the Doctor was going to fuck him and he was a more than a willing participant, his own cock close to exploding at just the thought of it. 

But to his surprise the Doctor just kissed him gently then took Jack's hand and pressed the tiny packet he had gotten from the bathroom into his palm. A moment later the Time Lord shifted to lie down next to him. Puzzled Jack sat up. His eyes shifted from the packet to the doctor's face, to the mischievous glint he saw in them. "What?"

The Doctor's lips curved upward. "I was wrong. You're a stupid ape, just like the rest of 'em." His hand came up to caress Jack's cheek in contrast to his sharp tone. "Fuck me, Captain."

Oh. Jack grinned through the slight blush he could feel flash over his face. "I thought you'd--" He stopped as an impatient expression appeared on the Doctor's face. He eyed the packet he held. "Gel?"

"Jack... fuck me." The Doctor's tone was beginning to take on a needful tone. "You're killing the mood."

Jack smiled. He did what he knew best as he prepared his lover, as he explored the Time Lord's body with lips, fingers and teeth. He'd always prided himself as an experienced and giving lover and felt a familiar pride as he quickly found and exploited his new lover's most sensitive areas. He wanted to go slow but his painfully hard cock demanded haste. He opened the packet and found himself inhaling deeply as the scent of herbs and spice met his nose. He prepared himself then his lover then he put the Doctor's legs over his shoulders and gazed into the Time Lord's mysterious eyes as he pushed into the willing body.

 _Oh gods..._ Jack expected coolness... he had not expected it to be so tight. The Doctor's hands rested firmly on his hips, encouraging. Jack pushed in further, then out. The third time he pushed in the Time Lord closed his eyes in bliss.

 _Yes, Jack... there..._

Telepathy. The Doctor's presence danced lightly in his mind. Pleasure and arousal shared. He had experienced it before but not on this deep of a level. As he thrust into the older man, the feelings between them expanded. Sensation overwhelmed any word or thought. Jack closed his eyes as he gave himself over to the need to create and recreate that pleasure he was giving, that he was taking. Vaguely he was aware of leaning forward, of the Doctor's legs relaxing from his shoulders to wrap around his hips, drawing him deeper. Jack thrust harder, an addict to the dual need. Release... he needed release... he needed to give the man under him release...

Fingers caressed then firmed at his temples. Jack felt the gentle invasion spread through him...

_Let go, Jack..._

_Let go._ Jack hissed and thrust harder. He was all ready to let go, to fill the Time Lord with himself.

_Let go, Jack Harkness. Let me help._

Help? Jack's eyes snapped open. The Doctor's bright gray eyes were on him, smoldering and piercing, oddly purposeful. What--

_Let go... time to start being who you should be... not as others might have made you..._

Confusion and some caution caused Jack to pause. The Doctor's expression held something akin to serious amusement as if understanding a joke Jack had missed hearing. "I am who I want to be!" he declared aloud as he physically, painfully tried to draw away but the Doctor's legs tightened around Jack's hips to hold the younger man in place. He grabbed the Doctor's wrists to pull the Time Lord's hands from his head but instead his cock plunged deeper into his lover's body and he lost his balance, forcing his hands to land hard on the Doctor's chest.

"Sorry--" Jack began to apologize for the hurt then stopped. Why was he apologizing? The Time Lord had trapped him. Again. "What the hell are you trying to do!" This was suppose to be a nice, if intense, little romp. Two guys getting some sexual tension out of the way. It wasn't supposed to be like... this. His hands began to clench into fists as the urge to fight his way out, mentally and physically, began to take hold.

The Doctor's hands drew away from his face, quickly slid down Jack's arms to grasp his wrists. "Calm down, Captain."

Three words. Jack blinked as the fight drained out of him, as a kind of calm eased through his nerves. "What's going on?" he asked, surprised to hear his voice sound level, even casual.

"You're an angry man, Captain." The Doctor's fingers slid further down to lay on top of Jack's hands. "It's the kind of anger I know very well." His head tilted on the pillow he lay on. "I see it in the mirror every time I look." His thumbs caressed over Jack's fingers. "I have lived over nine hundred years and may live yet another five or six hundred more, though I don't know now that my world is gone."

Gone. Jack felt the deep, grieving sadness that sat at the base of the Time Lord's soul. In his early years at the Time Agency he had been fascinated by and had done some research into the myth of Time Lords... of Daleks... of the supposed Time Wars. From the ancient accounts of the worlds nearly destroyed by a mysterious cataclysmic event, they would speak of one lonely god who stood at the center... who survived... 

"I'm sorry." Jack tried to search his brain for something else to say but nothing else even vaguely appropriate came to him.

Fathomless eyes studied him. Some surprise wafted between them. "It's done, Jack. Had to be done." Caresses continued, moving softly up and down Jack's arms. "You are... what? Thirty? Near forty?"

"Thirty-seven... Earth Standard." Jack groaned and leaned forward. The Doctor's internal muscles were teasing his cock, coaxing back the arousal that had begun to leave him. "Doc-"

"You have maybe a century of life to go, Jack. Too short a time to be so angry." The Doctor gave him an insightful grin. "I can't give you your memories back. I not sure anyone can without killing you or making you permanently insane. But they are safely tucked away." He raised a hand; his fingers found contact on Jack's temple again. "No more nightmares to urge you on. Just let it go."

Jack closed his eyes. He resisted the Time Lord's words, the erotic pressure on his cock, the sparks of shared sexual energy. Ten years. I've wasted ten fucking years...

"You've only wasted them if you continue to obsess about reliving them." The Doctor relaxed his legs and shifted his hips. Jack gasped. His head dropped forward as sweat dripped down his face. He was so close to giving in but knew if he did what he was would change forever.

"You're not the only one who's changing, Jack Harkness." The Doctor's tone began to strain. "Rose taught me to face life again." His fingers pushed hair back from Jack's forehead. "In just a few short hours you're teaching me to share that gift." His body relaxed as he released Jack completely, both mind and body. "Make love to me, Jack. Make us both something different than when we walked in here."

Jack's muscles strained to hold his weight above the Time Lord. His cock burned with unresolved need. His mind- the Doctor was still there but as a natural presence. Waiting. Uninvolved. Lonely.

_Alone._

Jack took a deep breath, then another. His fingers began to caress over the Doctor's smooth chest, even teasing nipples. He laughed a little as the Doctor gasped in response, as the pleasure echoed between them. "In my whole life... never thought I'd be doing this."

"Make love to me, Jack," the Doctor urged again. "Just let go and make love to me. Let me in." His fingers caressed Jack's cheek. _I don't want to be alone anymore either..._

 _Let go._ Jack groaned and thrust his hips forward, ready to finish what they started. Yes. He brought the Doctor's legs over his shoulders again and smiled his most charming smile. "You're so tight."

The Doctor returned the grin. His hands softly caressed Jack's arms, stimulating with gentle comfort. _Make love to me... join us..._

 _Yes._ Jack moaned as he stopped resisting. _Yes._ Barriers within his mind weakened. Jack hesitated at the unfamiliar sensation. _Doctor._

 _Here._ The vastness of the Time Lord peeked out to carefully embrace Jack. _Feel it, Jack? The room around you... Rose sleeping... my TARDIS moving through the endless Vortex... can you feel it?_

All around him... endless void... Jack moaned, pushing in and out to further the physical joining. Within his mind he was a still-point in the eternity of space, dancing among the stars, riding the tide of Time... each point touching upon another... upon another... random collisions causing random waves of outcome... random conclusions...

_Time Traveler..._

Some small panic rose within Jack... too many lines... too much energy creating and recreating... which one was the right one...

_They all are... but only one is the course we take..._

The Doctor's strong presence enfolded Jack, guided him from the possibilities to a single path, the one they were already on, stretching far into the future... further than Jack thought possible. _You have potential... so few humans do... my mother did... which is what drew my father to her, one of the many reasons why he loved her so..._

 _Mother?_ The knowledge and understanding dropped into Jack's mind. _You're half human?_

 _I love Humans,_ the Doctor told him, his mind voice full of soft light. _I love Earth. My mother was a special woman._

Jack smiled seductively, outwardly and inwardly, letting his attraction... perhaps love begin to show. _You're a special man._

_Always the flirt, my Jack..._

Jack startled at the new voice. Doctor? Unsure he reached out with his mind, was immediately caught. _Doctor? Who--_

 _Not yet... It's all right._ The Doctor soothed then caressed. _Make love to me. Bring us together..._

Jack thrust harder, suddenly physically aware. Harder. His cock burned. Both of them were aching from the sustained connection. Jack cried out, real pain almost winning over the building climax. Beneath him the Doctor moved with him, equally stressed but determined. They needed release... needed each other... now and in the future...

_Now Jack... now... now..._

Jack screamed, heard his lover scream. Felt their connection meld as one then draw apart but never separate. Link. Jack collapsed as his body lost the ability to support him. The Doctor caught him and moved slowly, drawing to the side, drawing Jack to him... lips to the human's dark hair, then lightly to his lips... 

_Relax, love... sleep..._

_Doctor, I- Okay?_ Jack couldn't move, didn't want to move. Drained inside and out but cleansed- reborn after death. _Doctor?_

_Sleep. I promise to wake you to eat. I promise to be here. Sleep._

Finally, Jack gave in and simply passed out. His hand grasped the Time Lord's as if he would never let go. 

"Doctor?"

Rose. Hesitant knocking. Discreet. The Doctor was instantly awake, sensed hours had passed since he and Jack had made love- bonded if truth be known. 

Jack lay half-way on top of him, his breathing deep and regular. The Doctor smiled, his hands slid over the human's back as his mind reached out to assure himself Jack was all right then drew back to that new, permanent connection between them. Permanent. He thought the realization would unsettle him but instead it felt natural, a balm to the other painful silence he had been living with since... 

The Doctor let go that train of thought. No need to scratch that wound a he suddenly understood he was beginning to build a real future. Gently he turned the young man onto his back, careful not to wake him as he sensed this was the first deep, restful sleep Jack had had in years.

"Doctor... everything all right?"

The Time Lord swallowed a sarcastic reply about impatience, sensing her real concern and the conflict of opening the door without invitation. "Just a moment," he told her quietly. He sat up and drew up a sheet to cover Jack then himself to the waist. No need to overwhelm Rose but... his lips curved mischievously... perhaps time for a little test, something he might dare to hope for... "Come in."

The door opened and Rose stepped in then froze as her eyes beheld the sight before her. "Um."

 _Work it through._ The Doctor let nothing show on his face beyond a pleasant, open expression. Rose Tyler was a smart woman. Open. Beautiful. Innocent. The only thing that kept him from complete intimacy with her was her unbalanced relationship with Mickey. She was uncertain there and he would do nothing to confuse her or make her feel pressured. He would wait for her to come to her own decisions.

Rose's eyes slowly slipped between the Doctor and Jack. Her expression worked its way up from surprise to realization to-

 _There._ The Doctor kept his poker face on as he saw it... that transition from understanding to something close to interest. "Rose," he said directly and saw her body jerk, felt her mind snap back to focus on the present. But that tiny light of what he had hoped to see remained.

"Oh... sorry... I-" She seem to shake herself back to attention. Her gaze fell on Jack. "Is he all right?"

Concern. Inwardly the Doctor let out a long held breath. The time wasn't right, not yet. But now he knew there could be something... sometime. "He's fine, Rose. Just needed a little rest. I roughed him up a bit." He grinned as he witnessed Rose's cheeks darken at the mixed implication. "I'll wake him up in a couple of hours and make him eat something. Would you like to join us?"

Again the question. The double meaning. Rose's expression again went through an evolution of reaction. Then she cleared her throat and gave him a half smile. "Sure," she said, her voice only slightly unsteady. Then she cocked her head as a small smile tugged at her lips. "So I'm guessing Time Lords know how to... dance."

"Sometimes," the Doctor answered directly with a smile of his own. "Depends on the music," his hand caressed Jack's bare shoulder in an unmistakable gesture as he took the moment to mentally sooth the young man into even deeper sleep. "And the dance partner."

Rose merely nodded, hesitant but accepting. "Let me know when I can join you two..." She rolled her eyes. Her cheeks again darkened. "For lunch! Or dinner..." Clearly irritated at herself, she backed away. "Just call me!"

The Doctor smirked openly. "Oh I will, Rose," he told her. He barely kept from laughing as she almost bumped into the door on her way out. Potential. That's what made his long life worth it. Potential.

finis


End file.
